Top Russian MP urges personal sanctions against Ukrainian officials

Protesters stand on top of the crashed cars during a rally against the Russian President Vladimir Putin in front of the Russian embassy in Kiev on June 14, 2014 (AFP Photo / Sergey Supinsky) / AFP

The head of the State Duma’s foreign relations committee has accused Ukrainian officials of “waiting on Obama’s administration” and called upon fellow MPs to punish the "conflict-mongers" with personal sanctions.

Aleksey Pushkov said in a speech in parliament on Tuesday that
the Kiev regime was “deliberately developing the conflict
logic” in relations with Russia, acting primarily in the
interests of the United States.

“Attacks on the Russian embassy, an attempted attack on the
consular office, insults aimed at the Russian President, regular
and never ending arrests of Russian journalists and the refusal
to pay the gas bills – I think these are all premeditated steps
coordinated by the United States. These are links in the same
chain,” the MP said.

Pushkov also warned that relations between Ukraine and Russia
were entering a new stage, and this stage is bringing the two
nations closer to a serious conflict.

“We should reassess our politics regarding Ukraine,” the
parliamentarian said. “It looks like our position that
sanctions are something inacceptable in foreign relations is not
finding any understanding in the western world where sanctions
have become a permanent instrument of diplomacy and foreign
politics,” he noted.

Pushkov said the State Duma should develop a system of sanctions
against Ukraine, including some personal sanctions against
Ukrainian officials. “In the current situation when sanctions
are being used by a large number of international players
including the leading nations of the world, Russia is narrowing
its foreign policy potential by rejecting this tool,” he
stated.

“We should end all talks about partnership with Ukraine until
Ukraine demonstrates its readiness for such a partnership,”
said the Lower House foreign relations chief.

The suggestion was supported by most of the MPs. Deputies of the
center-left Fair Russia caucus also said that Russia should
recall its ambassador from Ukraine as a reply to the embassy
attack. “It can only cause bewilderment that after the mob
violence launched by Ukrainian Nazis near our embassy our
ambassador had not been recalled and still remains in Kiev,”
said the deputy head of the caucus Mikhail Yemelyanov.

A day earlier Russia’s envoy to the UN Vitaly Churkin said that Moscow was disappointed over the
United Nations’ failure to condemn the assault on the Russian
embassy in Kiev. “We are disappointed that Security Council
colleagues failed to support a statement condemning the attack on
the Russian embassy, notwithstanding the fact that Russia had
always expressed its support of colleagues from other countries
in similar situations.”